Door isn't closed on Young returning to Lions

ALLEN PARK — Titus Young’s career with the Detroit Lions may not be over.

Young was sent home after the Nov. 18 loss to Green Bay when he lined up in wrong spots. He never played another snap in the season.

Young, who had a lingering knee injury, was placed on injured reserve on Dec. 4.

The Nov. 18 game was not his first transgression In May he was sent home for a week after sucker-punching teammate Louis Delmas in a locker room altercation.

Still, he has a chance at redemption.

In his season-ending press conference on Monday, coach Jim Schwartz said Young is still on the roster and everybody on the roster is on there for a reason.

“There’s some guys that started the season with us that are no longer with us that have been released or… I guess there’s no other way to put it, they’ve been released,’’ Schwartz said. “So there is still a window there. There have been some … there’s a window there and there’s a chance there is a process involved there.

“He’s a very talented player. Obviously he made a difference when he was on the field. Particularly with the way their injuries went, with Nate Burleson and then later (Ryan) Broyles. It affected the team not having him out there,’’ Schwartz said.

In 10 games this season Young had 33 catches for 383 yards and four touchdowns.

Young is signed through 2014 and scheduled to make $555,000 in 2013.

No Best updateBefore training camp started in July, the Lions were counting on running back Jahvid Best to be a vital part of the offense.

They expected he would be cleared to play following his concussion on Oct. 16, 2011.

He never made it back. On Nov. 2 it was announced that he’d stay on the physically unable to perform list through the season after doctors would not clear him to play.

“I’ve had conversations with Jahvid and I don’t want to — and I hate playing that card — but I don’t want to go into those. That’s out of my hands as a coach,’’ Schwartz said.

“We talked about a protocol for as we developed a team and things that we look at and say ‘OK, this is where we need to improve and things like that. That’s one area as a coach that I can’t create any kind of protocol. I can’t have expectation. That’s up to doctors and that’s up to Jahvid. We’ll leave it in those two peoples’ hands or those two groups’ hands.”

No dropoff for HansonJason Hanson just completed his 21st season with the Lions and has yet to decide whether he’s going to return for his 22nd.

“He had a good year this year. He had I think four misses, was 32-of-36. He had more attempts this year than last year so his accuracy still hasn’t declined. He just set another NFL record yesterday,’’ Schwartz said. “I think that he has been the definition of consistent. So I wouldn’t see any reason that that would change. There hasn’t been signs that it’s in decline.”

The 42-year-old Hanson said he’ll take a few weeks to decide his future. He won’t go to another team, it’s the Lions or a rocking chair.